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A Family Who Tri Together

11/19/14 10:35 AM

This piece was written by Peter Monteferrante

A family who Tri together…

Triathlon is a wonderful lifestyle to lead and sport to participate in. No matter how young, old, short, tall, fast, or not so fast…Anyone can participate (this includes spectating, cheering, and volunteering at races) and have a blast! I’m a 44 year old married father of two. In four years I have gone from never competing and ANY type of athletic racing to competing in Many multisport events including three 70.3 events, and two Full Ironman finishes. Let’s rewind to spring of 2010…

I overheard a friend talking about a “sprint”triathlon and I asked her about it. It was to be held in June 2010 near Penn Yan, NY by Keuka Lake. She suggested I sign up with her. So I signed up. This race consisted of a 750 Meter swim, a 20KM bike, and a 5KM run. I had been an avid touring cyclist for many years so traveling 20KM on a bike was not a concern to me, but swimming that far…And running (at all)…This was going to be interesting. Well suffice it to say I finished that race and I wanted to do another. While at the event with my wife a two kids (8 and 11 at the time) we learned that there were races for the kids to participate in. The kids both wanted to check it out so at the next race (at Evangola State Park) they both tried it out and were hooked as much as (or maybe even a little more than) dad.

Now what about mom, you ask. Well mom is the most important part of this multisport family. She is the cheering section, the Sherpa, and the overall “make sure we are where we need to be with what we need to succeed go to gal”. She is the glue that keeps the three of us racing.

Fast forward four years. My daughter Julia is now 12 and my son Owen is 15. They have both competed and finished multiple “adult”races and want to keep going. As a matter of fact Julia has asked if she can have an entry into Ironman Lake Placid (her dad’s first IM) for her 18th birthday. All of this started and Keuka Lake Triathlon, one of the original races in the Score This!!! Multisport Race Series. If it weren’t for Score This!!! and all of the wonderful people who work for/volunteer with them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. I can’t put my finger on it, it’s all of the little things: Knowing me by name after my first race, noticing that I have my sunglasses (not my swim goggles) sitting atop my head moments before a swim start (and getting me sorted out in time), encouraging every athlete to do his or her best while HAVING FUN!

Multisport has brought me to three states, countless weekend overnights with my family, three week long vacations, and hours upon hours of quiet reflection while training. It has fostered a competitive spirit within my children and brought us all closer together as a family.